


The Miracle of Verdant Vorlas

by Yanara126



Series: Waidwen [2]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Prequel, Public Humiliation, Whipping, deliberate use of capitalization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yanara126/pseuds/Yanara126
Summary: It's time for Eothas to truly show his presence in the most effective way, and Waidwen is prepared to do whatever is necessary. It doesn't go quite as planned.
Relationships: Eothas & Waidwen, Eothas & Waidwen (Pillars of Eternity)
Series: Waidwen [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854808
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	The Miracle of Verdant Vorlas

**Author's Note:**

> I have done it! I have written my first story with something like an actual plot! Even if it isn't technically my plot...  
> The story is based on an actual canon event called The Miracle of Verdant Vorlas, though I'm admittadly not quite sure why. There is a different story that fits that title much better, but I've looked it up multiple times and it can really only refer to this one, so I bow to the canon lords.  
> Waidwen and Eothas are amazing characters and deserve more love! That and quarantine were amzing motivators to get off my butt. In the unlikely case that you're reading this but don't know them, please check out 'penhaligon', they're an amazing writer with much more motivation than me and some very good stories, including some about these two, which are also part of the reason I wrote this. 
> 
> As always, if you find a mistake or just have some constructive critiscism, please tell me, I'd love to get better at writing. And Eothas knows, I've run out of words about 500 times while writing this, so it's entirely possible I botched something and didn't catch it while proofreading. Also, as much as I love this website, posting here is pure horror.
> 
> Have fun!

Waidwen had known this day would come. He’d not known that it’d be today, but it didn’t surprise him. This was the biggest crowd he’d drawn yet. Of course they’d choose a time when they’d have an audience. Yes, he’d known, he was prepared for whatever they’d put him through. He could do this. They could do this.

 _You’re afraid_. It wasn’t a question, just a calm statement, holding no judgement but simple understanding.

Yes, he was afraid. He watched the guards push through the people and wanted to hide in a corner far away. (Where his father wouldn't reach him.) He felt something warm creep over him, almost like the idea of a hug. He let himself sink into the feeling for just a few seconds.

 _You don't have to do this alone. I will be with you the whole time._ And wasn't that part of the issue. The temptation to just give in, to let Eothas take over, to draw back and hide from the pain that was sure to come. He knew Eothas would let him, if he asked. But no, he wouldn’t be a hypocrite. The change he was about to bring would hurt, and he would face it like all the others. And the time wasn't right just yet. They might know how to make an action grand, but so did Waidwen.

The guards arrived and climbed up the speaker's platform. He didn’t resist when they forced him to his knees. He winced when they pulled his arms behind him and put him in chains, but still didn’t object. The crowd on the other hand became more unsettled by the second. There were cries of protest, but no one dared actually intervene. The guards weren't known for their mercy towards rebels.

When they were sure he was secured, the enforcer stepped on the wooden platform. He was a short, round man who looked like he would be faster rolling than walking. Seeing him made Waidwen's blood boil again. He let the anger drown out the fear and forced a tight smile onto his face.

“Chains, really? Doesn't that seem a bit excessive?” And it was. He was just as emaciated as the rest of the common people here. He hadn't eaten properly in weeks and probably wouldn't have been able to tear even the thinnest rope. Not that he thought the other man would be able to, he doubted there were any muscles under all that fat. Fat he’d gained by starving his people, while they toiled on fields each day.

“You’re the one claiming to be a god's avatar.” The man sneered down at him as if he was little more than dirt on his shoe. Oh, how he wanted to burn that arrogance of his hanging-cheek-face. Preferably literally. But that’d be overkill and would cost more energy than the maggot deserved.

“In that case chains will hardly hold me, no?” He said with a grin Ondra's fiercest sharks would be proud of. It was incredibly satisfying to see the doubt creeping into those pig eyes. May the pigs forgive him for that comparison.

“We’ll see about that, blasphemer!” The man was spitting more than talking, with most of it landing on Waidwen, who sneered in disgust and vowed to find the nearest river to take a bath as soon as this was over.

 _Indeed, we will._ ‘See about that or take a bath?’ The presence flared up lightly in a warm and soft way that Waidwen had come to identify as amusement. _Both._

“Now, blasphemer, we will recount your crimes, so that the people you mislead will see what an atrocious heretic you truly are!” Oh, this would be interesting. What they lacked in compassion, they certainly made up for in creativity. He’d heard many interesting explanations that he knew now were utter horse shit. The famines for example. Their payment was meagre on account of supposedly missing profits. The truth was, their pay had steadily declined ever since the Dyrwood had won it’s independence. The harvest was by no means good, but had been unchanging for the last hundred years.

The enforcer pulled a scroll out of his bag, broke the seal and cleared his throat. Not that it actually helped him. The people didn't seem inclined to listen to him defame their champion. They only grew quiet when Waidwen let his eyes roam over them. It didn’t help the enforcer’s confidence and Waidwen allowed himself the satisfaction of it.

“Now listen closely peasant, for you stand accused of the following crimes before his majesty by divine right the ferscönyng: Intoxication!” As if there was anything else to do in this shithole aside from starving and drinking, if you could even get your hands on something, that is. Not that he’d done much of the latter in recent times. He hadn’t touched a bottle since that day in the field. There were more important things to do.

“Animancy!” Still not terribly interesting. He didn't have the funds to attempt such a costly practice and everyone knew. No one here did.

“Exhuming the dead!” Yes, because clearly digging up corpses is what someone inhabited by the god of rebirth would do. He rolled his eyes.

 _We could. Though I have to admit, I never tried my hand at actual necromancy._ Waidwen snorted quietly at that.

‘And we should probably leave it at that.’

_Probably._

“Cruel statements to a child!”

“As opposed to your letting them starve?” Waidwen turned his head just enough to give the man a questioning, but no less condescending look. The crowd stirred again. The guards stepped forward, hands threateningly on their weapons. The people grumbled but stood down. The enforcers spluttered indignantly, throwing his hands around as if to ask the surrounding folk for support against Waidwen’s audacity. When no one reacted, he pulled back and tried to play it off with little success. The mood was clear.

“Consorting with a cean gŵla!”

_Ew._

As much as Waidwen wanted to keep up his show of defiance, he had to lower his head at that or everyone would see the slightly deranged grin he was trying so hard to suppress. There was just something about a divine entity saying 'ew' that was much more entertaining than one would think.

 _I'm glad you find me so humorous._ The voice was soft and laced with slight amusement. It gave him comfort to be reminded of some other feeling than his current rage and fear that made his skin crawl. A small part of Waidwen not preoccupied with the situation suspected Eothas' comment might’ve been more for his benefit than an actual expression of opinion. He took a deep breath, put his mask of confidence back on and faced the people again.

“Indiscretion with an animancer!” Waidwen looked at the enforcer again and raised an eyebrow.

“You probably should’ve led with that. After a cean gŵla an animancer seems like a let-down.” The man’s face grew red and he spluttered again. Waidwen did not have time to savour his victory however, when a guard came up behind him and bashed him over the head with the end of his spear. The force of the blow ripped his head to the side. Even through the ringing in his ears he could hear the shrieks of protest from the masses beneath.

“Silence, accused! You are to listen to your charges! Do you see what a villain it is you are lending your ear to? Silence, I say!” This attempt yielded no better results than the first. The crowd quieted down again, though openly hostile now. The enforcer was sweating and clearly uncomfortable.

The ringing in Waidwen’s ears let up and his previously spotty vision returned as a light warmth spread through his head. Careful to not let his quick recovery show too much he blinked and lifted his head again.

‘Thank you.’ _Don't thank me yet._ _I doubt that was the worst of it._ Instead of the former lightness the voice was now heavy with something that might’ve been grim anticipation, if the Child of Light was even capable of that. But Waidwen had learned in the last few weeks that the gods were much more than just ideals, or perhaps less, depending on your viewpoint.

“The next of your crimes: Making lewd gestures at a woman!” He was certainly tempted to make lewd gestures, but as far as he was aware, there were no women under the potential receivers. And if there were, he certainly didn't care. His regard for gender had significantly dropped in recent times. Not that he’d ever understood all the commotion the nobles made about it in the first place. The women had to work as hard the men out here and nobody batted an eye about it. Besides, Magran was a woman and he was fairly certain she would rain fiery vengeance on anyone who would dare treat her like some delicate flower.

 _I would indeed advise against that. Though I fear in our case it would hardly make a difference._ What followed almost sounded like a sigh. He was rather trying to avoid thinking about that. Ending the aedyran tyranny was one thing, facing down gods another.

A kick to the stomach reminded him of his current issues and he doubled over, pulling in a sharp breath. He should probably focus on the moment.

“Public Indecency!” A breathless laugh escaped him. “And that from the man who I'm sure will demand my shirt soon.” Another kick set his ribs aflame and nearly toppled him. He could feel the warmth rising again, but pushed it down determinedly. Healing that would be too obvious. He could take some bruised ribs if it meant more effect later.

 _If you are certain..._ Eothas obviously wasn't, but would respect his wishes, like always. Sometimes Waidwen was tempted to test out just how far his patience could be stretched. Thankfully there was something else to claim his attention and distract him from that dangerous line of thought at the moment.

At this point the enforcer was profoundly flustered, whether from embarrassment, anger or fear of the increasingly angry mob Waidwen didn't know. Whatever it was, it caused him to choke out the last accusations in quick succession. “Venereal disease! Sabotage! Impiety! And of course, sedition!” The man was breathing hard, as if he’d been the one being beaten. It was obvious that he didn't want to be here anymore than Waidwen himself, but just like Waidwen he didn't have much choice in it either. He’d started this mess and now he’d have to live through it. And they both knew it. He swallowed hard and motioned for the guards to draw a bit closer before continuing.

“Do you deny these accusations?” Waidwen slowly straightened again and let out a few controlled breaths to sooth his sore ribs before answering.

“I’ll deny only the ridiculous ones. I don’t deny the sabotage of the tyrannical regime starving it's people. I don’t deny what you call sedition, because a government that's harming it's own subjects must fall, and it’ll fall by the hands of it’s own suffering people, so that this country may see the light of a new dawn! I don't deny that my actions must look like impiety to you, for you have perverted the faith of Eothas to darkness and despair, and so can’t recognize his light and hope staring in your face!” The speech wasn't quite as impulsive as he tried to make it look. He wasn't terribly good at talking actually, but he also didn’t want to completely rely on Eothas, so he did his best to plan ahead. He was quite good at that, after all, you couldn't properly cultivate land without being able to think ahead and acclimate to changes. Impulsive or not, it did have it's desired effect. The people cheered and the guards couldn't effectively move in without leaving the enforcer defenceless. Waidwen gave himself a bit of time to collect his thoughts and prepare himself, before he spoke up again.

“I stand by my actions. I don’t regret them and have no intention of stopping. But I'm no hypocrite. They are crimes, no matter how justified and I will face the punishment for them.” The no doubt humiliating and painful punishment. A prolonged lashing if he had to guess. He closed his eyes.

‘Please don't leave me through this.’ _I won't. You won't feel it, I promise._ The words were warm and comforting. They spread a mantle of peace over him and pushed down the fear that was slowly threatening to choke him. He let it happen and sank back into himself to wait out the squabbling facade of a trial to choose an already set punishment. After a few minutes of meditation, he was roused by a sudden increase in volume.

“So it shall be! The accused shall be subjected to 30 public lashes, they are to be carried out immediately!” The crowd roared. If they were angry before, they were furious now. 30 lashes wouldn't necessarily kill him, but with his not exactly peak physical condition it might, or would at best do serious damage. To their knowledge at least.

“I consent.” He didn't raise his voice any louder than his usual speaking voice. He didn't need to. It’d been one of the first things Eothas had taught him, how to speak with authority. Everything grew silent around him. The common people stared at him in horror and he forced a slight smile on his face. It became a bit easier when he felt another warm caress, like a steadying hand on his back.

The enforcer had obviously no idea how to react. He was staring at Waidwen like the rest, the scroll still in hand. He’d expected the calm to break at the reveal of the sentence. He’d expected protest, curses, anything, but not this unbroken acceptance. How someone could so confidently agree to be being beaten half to death, he didn't understand. Unless the man wanted to martyr himself? That would be very inconvenient, but there was no dignified way back anymore.

Behind him Waidwen could hear the man breathing heavily and he imagined the blood red face sweating bullets, but didn't deign to look at him. Instead he let his gaze wander over the crowd in front of him. Most were men his age, some were older and he could even see a few mother's with young children clinging to their skirts. All of them were dressed poorly, some with hardly more than rags. They stared at him with desperate eyes in gaunt faces. His determination rose and this time it wasn't because of the Divinity bonded to his soul. This was the reason he had agreed to this insanity. He would make everything better for these people, no matter the price. No other child would suffer as he had.

 _We will make sure of it._ A promise ringing with their shared conviction.

He’d weed out the pests that had taken root here. One after another, starting here and ending wherever necessary.

Finally, life seemed to return to the people around him. A guard stepped onto the podium carrying a solid wooden pillar so large it was impressive he could even lift it. With a resounding thump the pole was set down. Someone removed the chains from his arms, only to wrench them forward and above his head. The chains came on again and were fastened to the top of the pole where an iron ring just for this purpose was hammered in. From the people below he could hear shuffling and quiet sobs. With his arms in front of his face he couldn't see them, but what he heard was enough.

Suddenly he felt a cold knife at his ribs, slicing off his shirt and into his skin, leaving a shallow but burning cut. And while that was painful, that had also been his last halfway decent shirt. The annoyance at having to find, probably make, another one was far better to concentrate on than the fact that he could hear someone unravel a whip.

The first hit took him by surprise, even though he knew it was coming. He heard the snap of the whip and the people's outcry and then felt a short pressure pushing him forward a little, but just like Eothas had promised, there was no bite to it. Instead it felt like someone had drawn a line of warm honey over his back, or at least what he imagined that would feel like.

The second hit added another stripe, and though the feeling itself wasn't painful, Waidwen couldn't help but remember the last time he’d been whipped. It’d been more than four years ago, but he never forgot any of them. The last time had been only weeks before his father had died, and perhaps he'd known and wanted to make one last impression, because that time had been by far the worst. They'd argued the whole night and he'd skipped mess the following morning, watching the dawn from a nearby hill instead. When he'd returned, father had waited for him with the belt. Waidwen hadn't complained, it wouldn't have accomplished anything. The beating he'd taken that day had left him unable to move properly for days.

The third hit came with a pain that he knew wasn't real and only came from his memory. It didn't hurt any less for it. In some corner of his perception he could feel the presence in him shift a little with something that almost seemed like guilt.

The fourth hit came slower, more hesitantly. He concentrated on the warm, almost viscous feeling the blows left on his back instead of the pain he knew should accompany them.

After the fifth one they stopped entirely. Waidwen heard the shuffling of feet and agitated whispers behind him. He tried to take a deep breath, to anchor himself in the here and now, but stopped and winced when his sore ribs protested.

The whispers stopped and the enforcer spoke up with a voice so trembling it almost made the fear worth it. “The... the point has been made. Be thankful that we are so merciful to end your deserved punishment early. Let it... let it be lesson to you, next time we'll... we won't be so merciful!”

Oh no, he wouldn't let them get away that easily. Waidwen called upon Eothas and, as always, He obliged. When Waidwen spoke next, Gaun spoke with him: “ ** _No. You will reap what you have sown. You called for a punishment, now it must be finished._** ”

The feeling of the hard wood under his knees faded away, as did the weight on his arms. What remained was an all-encompassing buzz and the peripheral awareness of what was happening around him. Peripheral, but absolute. He didn't see, but he knew the people were staring with awe and terror. He didn't hear, but he knew some of them were uttering prayers. Just as he knew the majority of fear stood behind him. He knew one of the guards had a young daughter, who’d just received her ordination to the priesthood of Eothas. He knew another one was a follower of Woedica and was currently reconsidering his faith. And he knew the enforcer was stewing in his own terror, slowly realizing that he'd never had any real control over the situation in the first place.

Waidwen was aware of the whip hitting the ground and the soldier who'd held it stepping back, even though His ears felt like they were filled with cotton. He knew the man did it out of fear of divine vengeance against his recently deceased son. Just as He knew the man who picked it up hoped for a promotion back to Aedyr. None of it mattered. All that mattered was the power suddenly at His disposal. The power of a god.

All of his former fear bled away into nothing as the vastness of Eothas’ being overtook his senses. What remained was absolute conviction. The limits of His consciousness were fuzzy and the small part of him still aware of himself was deeply uncomfortable, but the majority was entirely overwhelmed by the feeling.

They had joined before, but never with this intensity. The only time that had come close was in the very beginning, in the field, and that had left him unconscious for hours. But not this time. This time They had something to prove, and nothing would stop Them.

So the punishment continued. They knelt on the ground and waited. Every hit heightened the already tense atmosphere. They didn’t count the blows; They didn’t need to. The people around Them knew, so They knew. Time passed both incredibly slow and immensely fast. It felt like everything around Them was in sharp focus, yet so inconsequential that time didn’t waste itself on it.

When the whip fell for the thirtieth time, the last bond keeping Their power restrained fell away. Instead of keeping it concentrated in Themselves, They let the floodgates open and the energy surged out into the physical world. With nerves that didn’t quite feel like they belonged to Them, They felt heat a human body shouldn’t be able to withstand, heard a bubbling and following clank, saw a blazing light illuminate Their surroundings, emanating from Them. An eternity passed in a second, spent finding Their place in the physical form They now shared. Only there was no sharing anymore. No Them, just a single entity with a single purpose.

The people saw none of the intricate mechanisms behind the merging of two very different souls happening right in front them. What they did see was a divine miracle without comparison. As soon as the last stroke had been dealt, Waidwen’s body was engulfed pure light. The metal chains glowed red and melted off His arms, falling to the ground unheeded. The light was bright enough to illuminate even the furthest and darkest corners, leaving no place to hide. Many of the onlookers fell to their knees, including some of the guards on the platform. Those who didn’t were either completely rigid or scrambling to get away. The man, if he even still was a man, in middle of the commotion didn’t seem to notice either way. He rose from his knees with a fluidity and grace that made the spectators question if He’d really moved at all. When He spoke, it wasn’t any louder than before, but His voice most definitely wasn’t human anymore. It carried such power, that it continued to reverberate deep in their souls, long after the words had reached their ears.

“ _ **See now, your suffering was never meant to be. You were deceived by those meant to deliver my will, betrayed by those meant to carry my lantern to guide you. But the world will be dark no longer. Hear what is said today, follow my guiding light, and rise above your existence as victims. Fill your hearts with splendour, for the time has come to let your actions shine brighter than their falsehoods. Banish all fears and unite with all who wish to see the light as you do. By the hands of hope the dawn of a new day shall rise over Readceras and you will be my harbingers.**_ ”

No one dared so much as breathe throughout the speech. After almost a minute of silence, a young man jumped to his feet, cheering and screaming praises. Like a wildfire it spread through the masses and soon the town square was filled with screams of joy. No one was still anymore and the air was filled with excitement. A god had spoken, and in no uncertain terms. The time of meek submission was over and the feverish anticipation of the coming fight permeated the atmosphere. With a god, their god, leading them, how could they lose?

The being their god and champion had become still stood on the stage, overlooking the scene. The satisfaction of an accomplished goal filled It, nothing else was of import. After all, what could possibly be able to stop It now?

Suddenly the world split again with violence. The being was gone, back in It’s place were a human and a god who’d just been violently torn apart and were now struggling to fit back into their former shapes. The edges where the essence of their souls had been split were raw and coated with a feeling Eothas wasn’t quite able to identify in his confusion.

Waidwen meanwhile howled with pain. Something had left a deep burning gash across his back and with reflexes gained from more angry brawls than he wanted to admit, he thrust his elbow back with as much force as he could muster. His arm met resistance and a soft crunch was heard, followed by a pained shriek and the thud of a body hitting wood. Waidwen took no notice of it. He was gasping in pain and desperately scrambling to make sense of the situation. Something hesitantly rose in him and he automatically latched onto the familiar presence. Eothas carefully returned the gesture and the bloody gash across Waidwen’s back closed under his cautious attention. With the biggest distraction out of the way, Waidwen noticed that he wasn’t the only one shaken up. Where Eothas usually felt like a steady thrum of energy, his essence now flickered erratically.

Behind them someone groaned and Waidwen immediately spun around, suddenly reminded of where he was. On the ground lay the guard who’d whipped him, holding his bleeding and shattered nose, a bloodied sword on the ground next to him. The rest of the delegation stood frozen in fear. At being presented with a new task, Waidwen quickly pushed the last few minutes to the furthest corner of his mind and did his best to look as imposing as possible in his rattled state. He stepped determinedly over the writhing guard on the ground and cornered the enforcer. He glared down at the man who cowered beneath his gaze and looked like he’d just pissed himself.

“You’ll take your men and return to the governor. You’ll tell him that he has one chance to leave willingly. If he doesn’t, he’ll have to face the wrath of the people he terrorized. And mine.” He all but growled the last two words. The enforcer nodded hurriedly and scrambled to get away, but Waidwen grabbed at him the collar, holding tight. “Aren’t you forgetting something,” he said pointedly and gestured at his trembling assailant. At the enforcer’s shaking sign two other guards stepped forward, grabbed their now sobbing companion and dragged him off the stage as fast as they could. Only when they were out of sight did Waidwen loosen his grip. The other man took his chance and fled, almost tripping on the steps down in his panicked haste.

With the message passed on, Waidwen noticed that there were still more people. The commoners had gone quiet again when the light had died down and had watched the happenings with confused attention. Now they were staring at him, both awed and confused about what they should do now. They were looking to him for the guidance he’d promised. Only Waidwen was as confused as they were and not exactly at his best at the moment. Eothas was strangely quiet and both of them were hesitant to interact again after what had just happened, their essences dancing around each other like two flames in the wind.

Waidwen himself had trouble remembering the exact course of events. It felt removed from him, like he’d watched it happen through a thick fog. All that remained was a profound sense of unease and the fear of losing control again. Trying to get his bearings, he couldn’t do anything but stand and feel awkward. Once again he was very aware of his own shortcomings. He was just a farmer, he’d never learned how to lead and the one who’d promised to help him had pulled back so much, that the only affirmation of his continued presence was the vague unrest, that didn’t belong to him, simmering through.

A light breeze passed through and Waidwen shivered, reminding him that he was still half naked, making him even more self-conscious than before. He’d never been ashamed of his body, but now with over a hundred people staring at him, he could feel the blood shoot into his face.

Suddenly he felt a soft weight being placed on his shoulders and flinched. The weight turned out to be a guard’s purple cloak and when he turned around, he found that two knights had stayed, looking about as uncomfortable as he felt. One of them was missing his cloak and holding the pin with the emperor’s crest in his still raised hands. They looked at each other shortly and with a sudden burst of determination the other one also pulled off his pin and they both hurled it to the ground, shattering it. They looked up to Waidwen again, a hesitant spark of hope in their eyes.

The wordless declaration of loyalty rattled something loose in Waidwen and with a start he straightened, pulling in a deep breath. He had a job to do. He thanked the knight, pulled the cloak closer and started organizing the people. Now that they’d made their official debut, everything had to go fast or it’d become a lot bloodier than he wanted to. While delegating the different tasks that needed to be done, he mentally poked Eothas, who immediately started, as if being woken from a trance.

 _I apologize. I shouldn’t have left you alone._ The voice sounded more sheepish than Waidwen had ever heard from him. Somehow Eothas not being his usual confident, righteous self, disturbed him almost more than the actual situation. The idea that He might not know what exactly they were doing any more than Waidwen, was more distressing than he’d ever expected.

‘It’s fine. I’ve got it handled now.’ That sounded like a lie, even to himself, but Eothas didn’t comment on it. They both chose to leave the dragon in the room unmentioned. Both of them were disturbed by the loss of control they’d just lived through. And though both of them knew, thanks to the connection they shared, neither wanted to admit it.

‘Do you think we can do it?’ Waidwen surprised himself with the sudden seed of doubt, but with how unsettled he was, maybe he shouldn’t have been shocked.

 _I think with that presentation, there will be few people who will try to stop us from freeing Readceras._ Not exactly the answer Waidwen had wanted to hear, but he didn’t doubt Eothas was aware of that. Freeing Readceras wasn’t what he was worried about. He felt awkward and at times unfit for the task, but he knew they could do it. The two knights had been a surprise, but a welcome one. It showed that some of the upper classes could be convinced to follow their cause. Now that Waidwen had come down from his adrenalin high, that gave him a healthy dose of confidence that he’d be able to end this with less bloodshed than he’d feared. What would come after was what scared him.

He was tempted to pry, but at the same time he feared what he’d find. Instead he decided to take it as advice and focus on the present. There was enough to do now. Messages to send out, people to convince, supplies and especially provisions to organize. A successful rebellion didn’t run itself, that notion had cost the few revolutions before him their victories.

‘And maybe I’ll even be able to find myself a shirt before this is all over,’ he added mentally and arranged the cloak differently, when another shiver passed through his body. Then the cold let up and a gentle, familiar warmth spread through him, accompanied by another quiet apology. Waidwen tensed, but when nothing else happened, he relaxed and enjoyed the tender feeling wrapped around him, much softer than a cloak could ever be. Yes, they could do this. And whatever had happened today, they’d be able to handle it, together.

_Together._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it! If you did, check out 'a violent collision' by penhaligon. If you didn't still check it out, because it's really good!
> 
> A short question for the end, would you be interested in a present tense version of this? I started doing one, but I'm not quite sure I like it, so if you have an opinion on that, I'm interested in hearing it!


End file.
